ISTA/Scene March 07

Editorial
2006-7 March Issue 3
ASKING
MEMBERS...
I’m absolutely thrilled with this issue!
Each year at the Board of Trustees
meeting, I ask various members of the
Board to brainstorm possible themes
for issues of Scene. It was at last
year’s meeting where Darren Scully suggested the idea of ‘What’s
Happening in Schools’ A collection of plays recently performed/
produced in schools to create a new resource for member teachers.
Brilliant.
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive, throughout
the year, has something to do with teachers needing help or
inspiration as to what kind of production to do. Whether it’s an easy
musical, an all female cast, a play that is devised, a piece to do with
IB students, a full school community project, a middle school play
for over 80 kids etc etc. Teachers are constantly searching for new
ideas and have very specific needs regarding the productions they
want/are asked to do.
ISTA should absolutely be able to help with this. The process of
realising this particular idea has shown that such a project is doable
and only enhances what we can offer to teachers by way of
resources, not to mention the follow up (new dialogues, exchanging
scripts etc) that ensues.
Due thanks go to all the teachers who wrote in and put up with my
pestering along the way. My wish is that you all feel you are getting
back much more than you put in. I particularly enjoyed a comment
from one teacher, who said being asked to write in with his notes on
productions, forced him to reflect on the choice of plays he did with
his students. Undoubtedly there have been all kinds of wonderful
spin offs as well.
Moving beyond purely content, you will see we have a new look for
Scene. I can only extend my sincere thanks to Ian Pike and David
Lightbody at this year’s Board meeting for their thoughts,
suggestions and guidance. This kind of collaborative process
ensures that we continually keep strengthening what lies at the heart
of ISTA; dialogue, keeping things alive and partaking in the
wonderful world that is theatre.
Finally, thanks to Jo Doidge for her creative brilliance in realising our
ideas.
What’s Happening in
Schools
A new Publication
I know that some of you were
struggling for time, at the time of
commissioning. However I would
very much like to contact you again
– to ask if you can contribute to
‘phase 2’ of this project. It is our
aim, at the very least, to double the
current number of contributions, so
as to create a new publication for
the wider teaching community. I
have a model for you to use and
worked out in the early stages of
this project that a contribution
should take no more than 15-20
minutes – given the formula we are
using. It would be great to build on
what we have started here.
Other resources
I am very much aware that we need
to monitor how much we ask you
to contribute during any one year.
Getting the balance wrong would
negatively affect good will and this
wouldn’t be good practice. But say
we tried to do a project of this kind,
every 2nd year – what other
resources would you find useful If
we could collect other information
from member teachers, what would
this be Please do write in with
your ideas, as the further ahead we
can plan the better. As part of our
Teacher Enrichment work, one of
our goals is to develop and extend
our current list of resources for
teachers. You, as members of ISTA,
have a voice in determining what
those resources should be.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Editor
sallyr@ista.co.uk
Please respond directly to
sallyr@ista.co.uk
Scene | 2006-7 March Issue 3 | 1